Evanston’s COVID-19 community risk level has reached the “High” transmission level, the city announced Thursday. The metric is based on COVID-19 positivity rates per 100,000 residents.

The transmission level measurement guidelines were announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February ahead of state and federal policy changes that stopped requiring testing centers to report test counts and positivity rates. Evanston stopped reporting an overall positivity rate for the city April 28. 

Although 88.5% of Evanston residents ages 5 years and older are fully vaccinated, new omicron subvariants are more likely to cause breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals as well as in those who have previously had COVID-19, according to the CDC.

Based on the city’s current transmission level, the CDC recommends all residents wear masks in indoor settings regardless of vaccination status and encourages residents to stay updated with vaccines and isolation protocols. 

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